JP2001304287A - Clutch disc assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clutch disc assembly capable of restraining deterioration of operation of a clutch. SOLUTION: The clutch disc assembly 2 inputs torque from a flywheel 4 on the engine side and outputs torque to a main driveshaft 9 of a transmission, and it is furnished with a clutch disc 21, a hub flange 24 and a shielding member 27. The clutch disc 21 is provided on an outer peripheral part and can make contact with the flywheel 4. An inner peripheral part of the hub flange 24 is spline-engaged with the main driveshaft 9 as torque is transmitted from the clutch disc 21. The shielding member 27 is fixed on the hub flange 24 and covers around the main driveshaft 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clutch disc assembly for inputting torque from a flywheel on the engine side and outputting torque to a main drive shaft of a transmission.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a clutch in a vehicle or the like plays a role of switching transmission and cutoff of torque between a flywheel that rotates by rotation of an engine and a main drive shaft of a transmission. Such a clutch mainly includes a clutch disk assembly and a clutch disk as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-303483.
It comprises a clutch cover assembly and a release device.

In the clutch disclosed in the above publication, when the release bearing 31 of the release device 8 moves to the engine side, the annular lever plate 28 pushes the pressure plate 26 to the engine side, and the friction coupling portion of the clutch disc assembly 6 (Clutch disk) 15 is frictionally engaged with flywheel 2 to connect the clutch. on the other hand,
When the release bearing 31 moves to the transmission side, the frictional engagement between the friction coupling portion 15 of the clutch disc assembly 6 and the flywheel 2 is released, and the clutch is disconnected.

The general structure of a clutch is as shown in FIG. 1 of the above-mentioned publication, and a clutch disk assembly (6) includes a friction coupling portion (15), a hub flange (14), and a friction coupling portion. (15) and hub flange (1
4) Coil spring (2) for elastically connecting circumferentially
0) and the like. A friction connection (15) is arranged between the flywheel (2) and the pressure plate (26) of the clutch cover assembly (7), and the hub flange (14) has a main drive shaft (3) of the transmission. Penetrate and engage with the spline.

[0005] The clutch disclosed in the above publication is a pull-type clutch that disconnects the clutch by pulling a release bearing toward the transmission. However, even in a push-type clutch, the clutch between the hub flange and the main drive shaft is disengaged. The structure of the spline engagement portion and its surroundings is the same as the structure of FIG.

[0006]

Generally, a clutch employs a structure in which a hub (hub flange) of a clutch disk assembly and a main drive shaft of a transmission are spline-engaged as described above. It passes through the hub in a bare state and is engaged with the hub.

As a result, dust may adhere to the spline portion of the main drive shaft and hinder sliding between the main drive shaft and the hub. Specifically, small pieces of the worn friction member from the friction coupling portion, dust entering from the air hole of the housing covering the clutch, etc. adhere to the main drive shaft, and as time passes, the main drive shaft and the hub come into contact with each other. , The smoothness of the sliding in the axial direction is impaired, and a phenomenon of so-called clutch disengagement occurs.

Further, since the main drive shaft is barely engaged with the hub, the grease filled between the two for easy slidability is easily scattered by centrifugal force. In a conventional clutch, a structure for suppressing the scattering of grease is not adopted, and disconnection of the clutch deteriorates as time passes. The object of the present invention is to
An object of the present invention is to provide a clutch disk assembly capable of suppressing deterioration of clutch disengagement.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clutch disk assembly which receives torque from an engine side flywheel and outputs torque to a main drive shaft of a transmission. , A hub, and a shielding member. The clutch disc is provided on the outer peripheral portion and can contact the flywheel. The hub receives torque from a clutch disc, and its inner peripheral portion is circumferentially engaged with the main drive shaft. The shielding member is fixed to the hub and covers around the main drive shaft.

In the clutch disk assembly according to the present invention, when the clutch disk is in contact with the flywheel, the clutch disk inputs torque from the flywheel, and the hub outputs torque to the main drive shaft. When the clutch disc is not in contact with the flywheel, the input of torque from the flywheel is cut off, and the flywheel torque is not transmitted to the main drive shaft.

Here, the inner peripheral portion of the hub is engaged with the main drive shaft to transmit torque (output) from the clutch disc assembly to the main drive shaft.
However, a shielding member is arranged so as to cover around the main drive shaft, and the shielding member is fixed to the hub. Since the shielding member fixed to the hub covers around the main drive shaft, it is possible to prevent dust from the outside and dust from the clutch disk from adhering to the engagement portion between the main drive shaft and the hub.
On the other hand, when the engaging portion between the main drive shaft and the hub is filled with grease for improving the slidability, scattering of the grease due to centrifugal force is suppressed.

Therefore, even if the time elapses, the slidability of the main drive shaft and the hub in the axial direction does not deteriorate so much, and the aging deterioration of the clutch disconnection reliability decreases. It is desirable that the shielding member does not interfere with the cylindrical sleeve of the transmission that covers the main drive shaft. The cylindrical sleeve of the transmission and the shielding member of the clutch disc assembly may be shifted in the rotation axis direction, or the shielding member may be partially covered to cover the main drive shaft. It may be arranged.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the clutch disk assembly according to the first aspect, wherein the shielding member is a cylindrical member and is fixed to at least the transmission side of the hub. Here, the shielding member is a cylindrical member, and covers the entire periphery of the main drive shaft.
In addition, a shielding member is arranged on the transmission side where more dust enters and generates more dust than the engine side of the hub, thereby suppressing dust from adhering to the main drive shaft. Desirably, shielding members may be provided on both sides of the hub, but a high effect can be expected even if the shielding members are provided only on the transmission side.

A clutch disk assembly according to a third aspect is the clutch disk assembly according to the first or second aspect, wherein the shielding member has elasticity. The shielding member has one end fixed to the hub and the other end fixed to the main drive shaft. Here, both ends of the shielding member are fixed to the hub and the main drive shaft, and the shielding member has elasticity in order to secure relative movement of the hub and the main drive shaft in the axial direction. By fixing the other end of the shielding member to the main drive shaft in this way, dust enters from between the main drive shaft and the shielding member, and grease is scattered from between the main drive shaft and the shielding member. Therefore, the slidability between the main drive shaft and the hub in the axial direction can be kept longer.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the clutch disk assembly according to the third aspect, wherein the shielding member attaches the hub to the transmission side when the flywheel and the clutch disk are in contact with each other. Energize. Here, when the flywheel is in contact with the clutch disc, the hub of the clutch disc assembly is
It is urged toward the transmission by a shielding member fixed to the main drive shaft. That is, when the clutch is engaged, the clutch disc assembly is urged away from the flywheel.
Therefore, when the clutch is disconnected, the clutch is easily released.

When the clutch is disengaged, it is desirable that the urging force of the shielding member be eliminated in order to secure the clutch disengagement position of the clutch disk assembly.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS <Overall Configuration> FIG. 1 shows a clutch including a clutch disk assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the axis OO is a rotation center line (rotation axis) of the clutch. The clutch is a device for transmitting and interrupting torque from the flywheel 4 on the engine side (left side in FIG. 1) to the main drive shaft 9 on the transmission side (right side in FIG. 1). This clutch mainly includes a clutch cover assembly 1, a clutch disk assembly 2, and a release device 3.

The flywheel 4 is fixed to an end of a crankshaft 50 which rotates by the operation of the engine. The main drive shaft 9 is spline-engaged with a hub flange 24 of the clutch disk assembly 2 described later, and an end on the engine side is supported by a crankshaft 50 via a bearing 51. A transmission housing 10 is disposed behind the clutch cover assembly 1 (right side in FIG. 1). A rear portion of the main drive shaft 9 that splines into a hub flange 24 (described below) of the clutch disc assembly 2 extends into the transmission housing 10. At the front end of the transmission housing 10, a clutch housing 11 that covers the clutch cover assembly 1 and the flywheel 4 from the outer peripheral side is provided.
It is fixed so as to be united with it. Further, a collar 12 is disposed at the center of the front wall 10a of the transmission housing 10. The collar 12 projects forward, and the main drive shaft 9 passes through the inside of the collar 12.

<Clutch Cover Assembly> The clutch cover assembly 1 includes a clutch cover 5 fixed to the flywheel 4 on the engine side, a pressure plate 6 disposed inside the clutch cover 5, and a diaphragm spring 7. Have. Diaphragm spring 7
The outer peripheral end is supported by the clutch cover 5, and the pressure plate 6 is pressed against the flywheel 4 at the inner peripheral side. Further, the diaphragm spring 7 has a radial slit extending from a radially intermediate portion to an inner peripheral portion, and an inner peripheral end 7 a is connected to the release device 3.

<Clutch Disc Assembly> The clutch disc assembly 2 includes a clutch disc 21, a clutch plate 22, a retaining plate 23, a hub flange 24, a coil spring 25, and a friction generating mechanism 2.
6 and a shielding member 27. The clutch disk 21 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the clutch disk assembly 2 and includes a cushioning plate 21a and friction facings 21b bonded to both surfaces of the cushioning plate 21a. This clutch disc 21 is arranged so as to face the friction surface of the flywheel 4.

The plates 22 and 23 include a plurality of rivets 2
The outer periphery of the clutch plate 22 is fixed to the inner periphery of the clutch disc 21. The hub flange 24 is a member in which an inner peripheral hub portion 24a and an outer peripheral flange portion 24b are integrally formed. The flange portion 24b of the hub flange 24 is disposed between the plates 22 and 23. The hub portion 24a of the hub flange 24 has a hole penetrating in the axis OO direction,
A spline groove is formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof, and engages with the spline groove 9a of the main drive shaft 9 (spline engagement). The spline engagement portion between the hub flange 24 and the main drive shaft 9 is filled with grease for smooth sliding along the axis OO.

The coil spring 25 is connected to the hub flange 2.
4 and the two plates 22, 23 are elastically connected in the circumferential direction. The friction generating mechanism 26 generates friction when the plates 22 and 23 and the hub flange 24 rotate relative to each other due to expansion and contraction of the coil spring 25. The shielding member 27 is a tubular member, and the engine-side end thereof is fixed to the transmission-side end of the hub portion 24a of the hub flange 24 (see FIG. 2).
The shielding member 27 has an inner peripheral diameter larger than an outer diameter of the main drive shaft 9, extends in the axis OO direction, and covers the periphery of the main drive shaft 9. In addition, shielding member 2
The transmission-side end portion 7 is located near a release bearing 17 and a sleeve 13 of a release device 3 to be described later in a clutch connected state as shown in FIG.

<Release Device> The release device 3 mainly includes a sleeve 13 and a release bearing 17. The cylindrical sleeve 13 is slidably fitted on the outer peripheral side of the collar 12 in the axis OO direction.
The end of a release lever 19 is connected to the sleeve 13.
It is moved in the -O direction. The engine-side end of the sleeve 13 is connected to the inner race of the release bearing 17 via a wedge collar, wiring, or the like. The outer race of the release bearing 17 is connected to the inner peripheral end 7a of the diaphragm spring 7 via a lever plate or the like.

<Clutch Operation> Next, the operation of the clutch will be described. (Clutch connection) When the release bearing 17 moves to the engine side in accordance with the movement of the release lever 19, a load several times the load from the release bearing 17 is applied to the pressure plate 6 via the diaphragm spring 7 according to the lever ratio. . Pressure plate 6
Pushes the clutch disc 21 toward the engine, the clutch disc 21 and the flywheel 4 frictionally engage with each other, and the torque from the flywheel 4 is transmitted to the clutch disc assembly 2 and transmitted from the hub flange 24 to the main drive shaft 9. The torque is output (the state shown in FIG. 1).

In the clutch disk assembly 2, the vibration is attenuated by the expansion and contraction of the coil spring 25 and the function of the friction generating mechanism 26. (Clutch disengagement) When the release bearing 17 moves to the transmission side in accordance with the movement of the release lever 19, the pressure plate 6 also moves to the transmission side, the clutch disc 21 separates from the flywheel 4, and the clutch connection is released.

<Characteristics of the present clutch> In the present clutch, since the clutch disk assembly 2 includes the shielding member 27 which has not existed conventionally, dust adheres to the spline engagement portion between the hub flange 24 and the main drive shaft 9. Is suppressed. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, since the main drive shaft 9 is covered on the transmission side of the hub flange 24 with the shielding member 27, dust generated inside the clutch housing 11 and air passing from outside the clutch housing 11 through an air hole or the like. It becomes difficult for the intruding dust to adhere to the main drive shaft 9. This allows
Even if the dust increases over time, the slidability between the main drive shaft 9 and the hub flange 24 does not deteriorate so much, and the reliability of disconnection of the clutch is maintained for a long time.

Further, the shielding member 27 is connected to the hub flange 24.
The grease filled in the spline engagement portion between the main drive shaft 9 and the main drive shaft 9 also plays a role of suppressing scattering due to centrifugal force.
Deterioration of the slidability between the shaft flange and the hub flange 24 is suppressed. [Other Embodiments] (A) In the above embodiment, the shield member 27 is fixed to the transmission-side end of the hub flange 24 to cover the periphery of the main drive shaft 9 on the transmission side of the hub flange 24. , Hub flange 2
The same structure can be adopted on the engine side of No. 4. Dust does not easily enter the engine side of the hub flange 24 as compared to the transmission side. However, if dust is expected to be generated due to wear of the clutch disc 21, for example, as shown in FIG. What is necessary is just to provide the shielding member 28. As described above, if the cylindrical shielding member 28 extends from the end of the hub portion 24a of the hub flange 24 on the engine side to the engine side, the periphery of the main drive shaft 9 is also covered on the engine side of the hub flange 24, Adhesion of dust to the drive shaft 9 and scattering of grease from the spline engagement portion are suppressed.

(B) In the above embodiment, the hub flange 2
Although the other end of the shielding member 27 having one end fixed to 4 is a free end, the shielding member may have elasticity and the other end may be fixed to the main drive shaft 9. For example, FIG.
As shown in (1), one end of the bellows-shaped shielding member 37 is fixed to the hub portion 24a of the hub flange 24, and the other end is fixed to the main drive shaft 9. Thus, on the transmission side of the hub flange 24, the spline engagement portion between the hub flange 24 and the main drive shaft 9 is completely isolated from the outside by the shielding member 37. Therefore, dust is completely prevented from entering the spline engagement portion from the transmission side, and grease is not reduced due to scattering.

Furthermore, if the bellows-like shielding member 37 is configured to have a predetermined elasticity so that the shielding member 37 urges the hub flange 24 toward the transmission in the clutch connected state, the clutch disk can be disengaged when the clutch is disconnected. 21 is easily separated from the flywheel 4, and so-called clutch disengagement is improved. However, if the urging of the hub flange 24 by the shielding member 37 continues even in the clutch disengaged state, the clutch disk 21 will come into contact with the pressure plate 6 and the clutch will not be disengaged.
Must be disengaged. In particular,
In the clutch disengaged state, no force is applied to the shield member 37, and the shield member 37 may be set so that the shield member 37 is stretched in the clutch connected state. In this way, the force of the stretched shielding member 37 to return to the original state becomes an urging force, and the hub flange 24 of the clutch disc assembly 2 is urged toward the transmission when the clutch is engaged. Then, the urging force of the shielding member 37 continues until the hub flange 24 moves by a distance of about half of the movement amount of the pressure plate 6 from the clutch connection state. Disappears.

(C) In the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transmission-side end of the shielding member 27 is connected to the flywheel of the sleeve 13 of the release device 3 when the clutch is connected as shown in FIG. Although arranged on the outer peripheral side of the end on the wheel side, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6,
The shielding member 127 may be configured to cover a part of the sleeve 113. Shielding member 127 and sleeve 113
As long as the interference with the shielding member 1 is avoided,
The structure that covers a part of the sleeve 113 on the flywheel side with 27 can further suppress the adhesion of dust to the main drive shaft 9 and the scattering of grease from the spline engagement portion.

[0031]

According to the present invention, since the shielding member fixed to the hub covers the periphery of the main drive shaft, dust is prevented from adhering to the engagement portion between the main drive shaft and the hub. Of grease is also suppressed. As a result, deterioration of the slidability in the axial direction between the main drive shaft and the hub is suppressed, and the aging deterioration of the clutch disconnection reliability is reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a clutch including a clutch disk assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view near a spline engagement portion of a hub flange and a main drive shaft.

FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2 of another embodiment (A).

FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2 of another embodiment (B).

FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 of another embodiment (C).

FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of another embodiment (C).

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Clutch Disc Assembly 4 Flywheel 9 Main Drive Shaft 21 Clutch Disc 24 Hub Flange (Hub) 24a Hub (Hub) 27, 28, 37, 127 Shielding Member

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A clutch disk assembly for inputting torque from a flywheel on an engine side and outputting torque to a main drive shaft of a transmission, comprising: a clutch disk provided on an outer peripheral portion and capable of contacting the flywheel; A hub to which torque is transmitted from the clutch disc and an inner peripheral portion of which is circumferentially engaged with the main drive shaft; and a shielding member fixed to the hub and covering around the main drive shaft. Clutch disc assembly. 2. The clutch disk assembly according to claim 1, wherein said shielding member is a cylindrical member fixed to at least a transmission side of said hub. 3. The clutch disk assembly according to claim 1, wherein the shielding member has elasticity, and one end is fixed to the hub and the other end is fixed to the main drive shaft. 4. The clutch disk assembly according to claim 3, wherein said shielding member urges said hub toward a transmission when said flywheel and said clutch disk are in contact with each other.